An Alchemist In Leafin
by xfacexthisx
Summary: AU. Anime crossover of Naruto and FullMetal Alchemist. "Two boys from opposing countries met each other and develop and friendship and then even more." SasuEd SasukeXEdward. Yaoi. Rated M to be safe.
1. Introduction

**Story:** Two boys from opposing countries met each other and develop and friendship and then even more.  
**Anime X-Over:** Naruto and FullMetal Alchemist.  
**Main Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha and Edward Elric.  
**Warning:** Yaoi, which means BoyXBoy. In later chapters, a few limes and probably a lemon or two. That's why it's rated M. Also, this story is AU, mainly so that Alchemy and Jutsu can co-exist.  
**Disclaimer:** Do I own Sasuke? No. Do I own Edward? No. Do I own Amestris? No. What do I own? Nanashi and Leafin. Hehe.  
**Thanks:** I'd like to thank Alima8314 for being my soundboard and editor for this story.

-o-o-o-

Of all the choices a person must make in their life, there is one that surpasses all others. That is a choice between Alchemy and Jutsu. You either choose one or you choose neither. Those who choose to do Alchemy become Alchemists and live in Amestris. Those who do Jutsu become Ninjas and live in Leafin. Finally, those who choose neither become Nothings, and are sent to the desert country of Nanashi.

You get one chance. The only change you can make is to become a Nothing. You can't switch to Alchemy or Jutsu. It's not allowed.

Once a year, the three countries of Amestris, Leafin, and Nanashi bring all their ten-year-olds to make the choice of what they want. When you are taken, you are asked to choose—Alchemy, Jutsu, or neither. Not surprisingly, most kids stay in the area where they were born.

This is the absolute only time the countries do something together. Other than that, it's a silent war between them. If you are a Ninja, you do not befriend Alchemists or Nothings. If you are an Alchemist, you do not befriend Ninjas or Nothings. If you are a Nothing, you do not befriend anyone besides your direct family. Nanashi is not a united country.

There is one thing you must always remember--you do not befriend outsiders. If you do, both of you are banned from your country and become a Nothing. That's just the way it is.

My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and I am a Ninja.


	2. Chapter 1

I completely forgot to put a disclaimer on the introduction! Oops! Well, it's up now.

That was the introduction. This is chapter 1.

-o-o-o-

_It's so good to be away from the annoying people._ I thought, sitting down on a tree branch. Naruto was annoying me again, with his loud voice and overexcited attitude. I just wanted to hit him. Sakura was being clingy again. She didn't understand that I don't like her. I don't like anyone, at least not _that_ way, and there was no way I was going to start liking her.

I leaned back against the tree trunk, sighing heavily. Hopefully I had run far enough away that no one would find me. I was near the border of Amestris and Leafin, but didn't cross it. I was smarter than that.

Suddenly, I heard a twig break. I glanced down and saw a boy walking through the forest.

"Fucking Alchemist." I muttered as I threw my kunai down at his feet. The kid had to be an Alchemist. He wasn't moving quietly, like a Ninja would have done. Of course, he could have been a stupid Ninja like Naruto, but even Naruto could move more stealthily than this kid.

He had to be a kid, too. He was unbelievably short. Maybe he didn't know any better than to enter Leafin, but that didn't excuse him.

He looked up at me, and I met his golden eyes. "What are you doing in Leafin?" I asked him. Since Leafin was Ninja country, he shouldn't be here; he should be in Amestris. His golden eyes glared at me, which I gladly returned.

"I can be here if I want to be." He said. I jumped down from the tree I was standing in, so I was on the ground with him.

"You're an Alchemist. You should be in Amestris." I told him. "What's your name?"

"Edward Elric. I'm the FullMetal Alchemist of the Amestris military." He replied.

"Bah. I highly doubt you're in the military. You look like you're ten years old." Maybe I was exaggerating. He looked about thirteen, actually.

"I'm sixteen! DON'T CALL ME SO SHORT I SHOULD BE PLAYING IN PRESCHOOL!!" He yelled. I was shocked to learn he was the same age as me. "Who the hell are you? I don't like you."

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I'm a genin of Leafin." I replied. "And I don't like you either."

"If you want to fight..." Edward Elric started. "Then I warn you, Sasuke Uchiha, I'm not an easy opponent." Edward Elric finished, and clapped his hands.

I smirked. "Good."

Edward Elric crouched and slammed his hands on the ground, which confused me. Didn't he need to draw a transmutation circle? I knew a bit about Alchemy, and I knew that Alchemists used transmutation circles to alter the properties of matter.

Apparently not. I felt the ground shift under me, and immediately leaped before the giant hand, made of dirt, could grab a hold of me. I barely escaped.

I threw a kunai at Elric, which he dodged, but just barely. Apparently he wasn't used to having knives thrown at him. Good, that gave me the advantage. I could handle Alchemy, but he couldn't handle flying knives.

I watched him clap his hands again, and a knife appeared on his arm. It looked attached. I was taken aback before I realized that his arm must be the automail that some Alchemists have.

He charged me, and I leaped over his head just in time. We both turned around immediately. Falling to the ground, I kicked upwards, successfully hitting him in the chin. He stumbled backwards. I quickly jumped up and punched him in the face. He stumbled even more, and fell on his ass.

I stood over him and smirked. "Now to finish it." I said, taking out a kunai. I let out a yell and began the advancement of stabbing him. He grabbed my wrist before my blade could pierce his skin. He squeezed my wrist tightly and I failed to suppress a look of pain. I dropped the kunai. He continued to squeeze, getting harder, and I could feel the pressure on my bones. They would snap soon. I glared at him with as he glared at me with his golden eyes. I bit my lip as he clutched my wrist, both of us adding more pressure as time passed.

Finally, just as I could feel the bones giving way, he let go. I jerked back, standing up quickly. I grasped my wrist, trying not to show the pain I was feeling.

Elric jumped up and kicked me in the chest with his leg, which must have been automail as well, since it felt like metal. I heard a few cracks, which must have been my ribs.

Gasping, I stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, as he had been moments before.

This time he was the one to stand before me. He looked taller when I was on the ground. "Well." I said. "Finish it." He was just standing there, glaring at me. The only problem for him was that he didn't look like he was going to kill me.

He shook his head, and my eyes widened. He wasn't going to kill me?

"That wouldn't be equivalent exchange." He replied. "I'm still alive."

I gave him a blank look, which he either ignored or didn't see. He began to walk away, back in the direction of Amestris. It was one of the strangest battles I had ever been in.

As painful as it was, I stood up. _What the hell is equivalent exchange?_ I wondered.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two. No notes necessary that I can think of. Remember--Leafin equals Ninja country. :-)

-o-o-o-

The next time I saw Edward Elric, it wasn't planned. The next day, we both returned to the place that I had met him. I returned to get away from Naruto and Sakura again. I wondered why he returned. Surely he had learned his lesson last time?

This time, I decided I wouldn't approach him. He would probably just return again the next day. I stayed in the tree.

I saw him bend down and begin to exam the ground and the plants. He either didn't know I was here or he was ignoring me.

"What is your business in Leafin, anyway?" I asked. He jumped, startled. I concluded that he hadn't known I was here. Well, of course not. He's just an Alchemist. Alchemists can't sense living things like Ninjas can, I had heard. He regained his composure rather quickly; I'll give him that.

"I'm supposed to find some ginger for my friend. She has horrible morning sickness. We don't have it in Amestris, but it grows wildly in Leafin." He replied. He appeared to be telling the truth, though it's surprising that he gave me so much information. I could feel his gaze on me, but my gaze wasn't on him.

"That's it?" I asked. Now I looked down at him, and he nodded.

For the first time, I really looked at Edward Elric. His hair was blonde, and he styled it quite uniquely. His bangs were like mine—long and hanging to the sides. The rest of his hair was pulled back in a braid. He wore black clothes under a red jacket. On the back of the jacket was some kind of symbol involving a cross, snake, wings, and crown. I wondered what it meant.

"Do you know what ginger looks like?" I asked. Edward Elric shook his head. "Then how are you going to know if you find it?"

"Well—uh, I have a written description and drawing. I've just never seen it in person…" Edward Elric said. I sighed.

"I doubt that description or drawing is going to get you anywhere." I said. "Do you even know where the part you want grows?" I had no idea why I cared.

He blushed heavily and gave a tiny shake of his head. I almost didn't see it from my spot in the tree.

"Underground." I informed him. "You need the rhizome."

"Oh." He replied. I could tell he had no idea what a rhizome was. I rolled my eyes.

"It's the stem." I said.

"_Oh_." He said with more force, as if he actually understood it this time. I sighed again.

"So who's your 'friend'?" I asked.

"Her name is Winry. She's a childhood friend." He said. I doubted she was just a friend. No person would risk his or her life to get ginger unless...

"So were you the one to knock her up?" I asked bluntly, just to see him squirm. I watched as Edward Elric blushed and inhaled so sharply that he started choking on his spit. He coughed for a few minutes, trying to clear his lungs.

"_No_." He said finally. "She's a childhood _friend_. My _brother_ is the one who 'knocked her up', as you put it."

"So why isn't your _brother_ out here?" I asked, putting as much unnecessary emphasis on the word "brother" as he had.

"He's trying to take care of her. She's having major mood swings. One minute she's happy enough to dance; the next, she's sobbing uncontrollably and threatening suicide."

"That's intense." I said because I didn't know what else to say. She sounded like a crazy bitch, to be honest. Maybe she's get along with Sakura—but they were crazy in different ways.

Edward Elric shrugged. "She has intense emotions. That's all."

Both of us fell silent for a moment. I didn't even notice that he had stopped looking for plants until he started again. The entire conversation, he had stopped and had been looking up at me, with his hands in his pockets, I realized.

He began looking for ginger plants again. I didn't have the heart to tell him that ginger didn't even grow in this part of the forest. You have to go further north for that. I leaned back against the tree trunk, relaxing again. It wasn't as easy this time. My instinct told me that, because Edward Elric was here, I should remain on guard. My brain was telling me that Edward Elric wasn't going to attack me. Can Alchemists even climb trees?

"You don't even know how to make ginger tea, do you?" I asked randomly, not bothering to open my eyes. There was a pause, and I opened an eye to look down at him. He had a pouting, stubborn face on.

"No, I don't, but my granny does." He replied finally. I smirked.

"I'll show you tomorrow if you want." I said. I don't know why I said it, but I did. I suddenly really wanted to teach him how to make tea.

"Okay." Edward said. I sneaked another peek at him, and I swear I saw a smile. I suppressed a smile of my own.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes:** This story is AU, and so I've also altered Sasuke's past.

Also, I own a huge apology to Alima8314. I forgot to thank her! A thanks has been added to the introduction chapter. Go read her stories too!

-o-o-o-

I was there again the next day, same time, in the tree once again. I tried to suppress the thoughts going through my head. Naruto was beginning to question me.

"Where the hell are you going these days??" He had yelled right in my ear.

"None of your business, moron." I had replied.

"Yeah, but..." I had watched as his face sank into sadness. It had been an odd mood change. He was beginning to act more like Sakura, and I didn't like it.

I wondered if he was going to start crushing on me as well. I shook my head. That was ridiculous. Naruto wasn't like that.

I was lost in my thoughts and didn't notice Edward until he threw a rock up by me. I caught it, but the fact that I didn't notice Edward proved that I had let my guard down. _Some Ninja I am_.

I jumped down from the tree and landed with ease.

"So, are we going to make ginger tea?" He asked. I held up a burlap bag.

"I've got the ginger, pot, water, and other materials necessary." I said. "We just need to make a fire."

"I've got the material for that." He said, pulling a glove on. On the glove was a transmutation circle. I knit my eyebrows in confusion.

After Edward laid down some firewood, he warned me, "You better back up. I don't have the hang of this yet."

I did as he said. He snapped his fingers and a ball of fire burst out of nowhere. Some of it hit the firewood and sparked a fire. The rest disappeared into the air.

I stepped forward again. "What was that?"

"It's my Colonel's glove. I stole it from him. The glove is ignition cloth, and when you snap, it makes a spark. Then you use the transmutation circle to alter the air and it makes flames." He said.

"...Okay." I said. I didn't want to admit that I didn't completely understand transmutation circles. "But, when we fought, you didn't use a transmutation circle..."

Edward frowned and bowed his head. Quietly, he answered, "That's because of some things I've done in the past."

I knew better than to ask for more details. Instead, I began to reflect on my past as I stared into the fire. My entire clan was dead. My brother had gone crazy and not only killed them, but killed himself as well. He had killed his clan to test his ability, he said. When I came home, he was standing over my parents' dead bodies and told me that he could surpass death. As I watched, he slit his own throat. He lied, though; he didn't surpass death. Due to my brother, I was a kid that was left alone in the world. I'm still not sure if I should hate him. He's my brother, after all.

Naruto was my first friend. I smiled slightly as I remembered him. During the second round of the Chuunin exam, we had been set to fight against each other. This was supposed to teach us a lesson that teammates might turn against each other. Naruto and I had always been against each other; we were rivals from the start. It was all healthy competition, however. As we fought during the Chuunin exam, he yelled that he was going to beat me, and I told him to keep dreaming. Somehow, he managed to pin me down. We were both dripping in sweat and panting. "I win." He claimed. I didn't move; I didn't argue. To be truthful, I think I let the kid win.

Finally, I snapped out of memories.

"Put the water over the fire." I said. Edward looked up at me; he seemed to have been lost in memories too. He recovered and did as I said when I handed him a pot and bottle of water.

"What now?" He asked.

"Now we peel and slice the ginger root." I told him.

"Do we have ginger root?" He asked. I smirked at him. I pulled ginger root and a kitchen knife out of my bag and began slicing.

I had to suppress a noise of pain when I accidentally cut my finger. Still, I think I made a small noise. Edward looked over at me and saw the blood running down my finger.

"Genius." He said sarcastically. I felt like an idiot; I had forgotten a medical kit so I couldn't tend to the wound properly. I was about to stick my finger in my mouth when Edward approached me. He ripped a piece off his coat and pressed it to my cut. I simply watched, unsure of what to do. No one had ever tended to my wounds except my mother. I watched as he tied the piece around my finger. "There." He said. I looked up at him with blank eyes. "You're supposed to say thank you…"

"Oh." I said, blinking. "Thank you."

He grinned and took the forgotten ginger root from me. He began slicing it the way I had been doing.

The way he tended to my wound was so gentle. It was almost gentler than my mother had been, but, at the same time, definitely not. Edward was gentler in a different way than a woman. I wondered for a moment what those hands would feel like on other parts of my body—grasping my waist, stroking my thigh—but shook my head to clear it. I wasn't supposed to think this way about guys, especially not an Alchemist. In fact, I didn't want to think that way about _anyone_. Emotions are _not_ the Shinobi way.

I felt Edward's eyes on me again. What the hell is wrong with me? I couldn't seem to keep focused. My brain felt as cloudy as the smoke from the fire.

I looked up at Edward, who was holding the ginger over the pot. I nodded and he dropped it in. I took a lid out of my bag and covered the ginger.

"Now we wait for fifteen minutes." I groaned as I realized that I forgot a watch. "I don't have a watch, do you?"

"Yeah." Edward pulled out a silver pocket watch with a weird lion on it. I creased my eyebrows in confusion, so he continued, "It's what I get for being in the Amestris military."

"Oh." I replied. "Well, we could train while we wait. I'm supposed to be doing that anyway."

"Okay." Edward said. Thus, we mockingly fought. I have to admit that he was good. It ended in a draw when we realized that fifteen minutes had to have passed. A look at Edward's pocket watch confirmed this.

"Now we strain it." I said, taking out a thin piece of paper. I folded it into a circle and strained the tea.

We tried the tea, but found it didn't suit our taste. A small bit of sugar helped this.

"Here's some ginger for the woman." I told Edward as we packed up my things.

"Thank you." He said. We were both awkward, hesitant. I found myself not wanting to leave. It was Edward that came up with a solution. "You know...my brother is always busy with pregnant Winry. I don't have anyone to train with..."

I smiled at him. "I don't have anyone in Leafin that I _want_ to train with."

It was true. Naruto was way too hasty and loud. He gave me such a headache when I tried to fight with him. Sakura was almost as bad. All the while we're training, she's hitting on me and going easy on me. It's hard to fight and inform a girl that you're not interested at the same time.

Thus, it was agreed: we would train together.


	5. Chapter 4

I don't have many comments to add about this chapter.  
Warning: BoyXBoy. Hehe.

-o-o-o-

Together, Edward and I trained every other day for weeks. (The days between were for rest.) He proved to be quite the useful companion. I wasn't used to fighting with Alchemists, so he was tough. Sometimes he caught me in the traps, since I couldn't perfectly sense Alchemy working. Every day, however, I grew better. Unlike with Naruto or Sakura, I grew stronger with him.

One day, everything seemed to be going as usual. We were fighting. I jumped over a trap he had instantly set up. Quickly, I advanced on Edward and managed to get him pinned against a tree.

"Give up." I told him, my face directly in front of his face. He grinned.

"No way." He said, moving his face even closer to mine, so our noses were touching. I started to back away from Edward, uncomfortable with how close our faces were getting. This caused him to slip, and in what must have been desperation, he grabbed the front of my shirt. Our lips crashed together. Before I knew what was happening, I was accidentally kissing a guy for the second time in my life, the first time having been with Naruto.

Maybe you couldn't have defined it as kissing. Our lips collided together, but that's as far as I let it go. I jumped back immediately when I realized what was happening.

Edward stood there in as much of shock as I was in. Then he kind of chuckled. That chuckle grew into a laugh. _He was laughing at the situation_. I felt anger build up in me.

"This isn't funny!" I yelled. Edward didn't reply. He just laughed harder as I grew angrier. I became infuriated with him. It was like he was trying to take the situation lightly and say I was gay without using words.

"I'M NOT A FAG!" I yelled. "And if I was, I would NOT get together with some goddamn _Alchemist_!!" I said it because it was true. I may not have liked girls, but I didn't like anyone. I certainly didn't like Edward Elric.

I could tell that I pissed him off by saying that. He stopped laughing immediately.

"FUCK YOU!" He yelled back, much louder than me. It reminded me of Naruto's loud voice. "You think you're so high and mighty just because you're a _Ninja_. You're not that great!!"

Quickly, using Ninja-like speed, I was in his face. I punched him straight in the jaw, using chakra to strengthen the punch. He was quick to recover and punched me right back in the jaw, using his automail arm.

I spit blood on the ground from my bleeding gums. "Fucking Alchemist." I said, repeating the words I had said when I first saw Edward Elric weeks ago.

"Go to hell." Edward Elric replied before stomping off. I didn't give chase—why should I? Instead, I spun on my heel and headed back to the village.


	6. Chapter 5

Warning: Some OOC-ness. Naruto is just different, and Sakura is much more clingy and open than usual. You'll see what I mean.

-o-o-o-

For about a week, I stayed in my house, locked away from the world. I told everyone that I was sick, which got me off the hook.

The weird thing was that I _was_ somewhat sick. I had no appetite whatsoever, and I felt purely exhausted most of the time. I was lucky if I managed to eat a piece of bread and stay awake for six hours. I wondered if I had gotten mononucleosis from that Alchemist. Maybe he went around kissing all sorts of people. Of course, my throat didn't hurt, which was the main symptom, so it couldn't have been that.

I couldn't avoid the world forever, and after about six days, Sakura and Naruto stopped by. Sakura was carrying a bowl of chicken noodle soup, though it smelled disgusting to me.

"Sasuke, how have you been? I miss you so much." Sakura said when I answered the door. She failed to point out my poor state—my face wasn't washed, my hair was getting greasy, and my clothes were wrinkled and worn.

Naruto came into the room without asking, and burst, "Damn, this place is a mess. This isn't like I thought Sasuke Uchiha would keep his place."

What could I possibly say? I hadn't bothered to clean that week and things were lying around.

Sakura saved me from answering. She smacked Naruto upside the head and told him, "Sasuke's been sick!! He shouldn't be cleaning when he's sick!"

Naruto glared at me, and I returned the glare. I wasn't in a good mood, so I really hoped he didn't try to fight me.

"Sasukeee." Sakura dragged out my name, trying to use a sweet voice. "Where should I put the soup?"

"Table." I said. I knew I wasn't going to eat it, but I'd let her think I was going to. I'm not that heartless.

"Sasuke, is there anything I can do to help? I could give you a full body massage; that might help." Sakura said. I closed my eyes in frustration, squeezed, and opened them.

"No, that's okay." I said. Sakura was visibly disappointed. _Good_, I thought. Then, _Maybe I __**am**__ that heartless._

"I have to get going." Naruto interrupted the silence. "I have to go train!"

He left without my farewell, which was fine by me.

"Well, that massage is open for whenever you need it." Sakura said. "Though I should get going too."

I let out a sigh of relief when they were both gone. Damn, how annoying they both were, plus Naruto was a complete moron.

I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked awful. Somehow, I had bags under my eyes, even with all the sleep I was getting. My face shimmered with a light layer of grease, as did my hair. I needed a shower.

I turned the water on as I began to undress. Once again, for the millionth time that week, my thoughts turned to Edward Elric. If I wasn't prejudiced against Alchemists before, I was now. He was a stupid, homosexual Alchemist. All he did was laugh about the kiss; he wasn't even worried, like I was.

The thing that worried me was that, as much as I tried to deny it, part of me had liked the kiss. Part of me hadn't wanted to jump away.

I shook my head, stepping into the shower. I wasn't a fag. It's not possible. The last surviving member of the Uchiha clan could not be a homosexual. Otherwise, the line would end with me, thanks to my brother.

I sighed heavily, letting the water wash over me. It was time to return to My Tree in the forest. I needed peace and quiet. Since Edward Elric probably wouldn't return to the place ever again, it would become my place again. Mostly, I was happy about this, but I couldn't shake the small, nagging part of me that would miss Edward Elric.


	7. Chapter 6

Not many notes to add today. Review, please. :)

-o-o-o-

I waited until the next day to return to My Tree. Subconsciously, maybe I meant to go at the time we normally meet.

Either way, I didn't expect to see him there. After all, what reason had he to return? Yet, Edward Elric was there, as if waiting for me.

I jumped the final leap to make it to my branch. He looked up at me, and I couldn't tell if it was with cold eyes or not.

I said the first thing that came to mind: "I'm not a fag."

I had to restate it. He had to know that I wasn't, because I thought maybe he felt that I was.

He broke our gaze and looked at the ground.

"I know." He said, loud and clear. I had expected him to mumble. He continued, "I don't want our friendship to end over some accident."

I glared at him. "Is that what you called us? Friends?"

He looked back up at me, clearly taken aback. "...Yeah, I did. I guess I'm just an idiot, aren't I?"

I guess a friend is someone you trust. It's someone who you want to spend time with. I wanted to spend time with Edward—I had liked training with him—and I guess I trusted him, enough not to kill me while training.

I smiled lightly. "No, I guess we are friends."

"I'm sorry about—." Edward started, but I interrupted.

"Me too. Let's just not talk about it." I said. I didn't think I could handle another rehashing of the events. I had done enough of that within the past week to last me a lifetime. I changed that subject. "So, how's Winry?"

"Fine, I guess. The mood swings are calming down." He replied. Since we had discussed my teammates while training, he asked, "How are Naruto and Sakura?"

"Naruto is loud as usual." I said. "Sakura is infatuated with me as usual. They brought me soup."

I hadn't meant to let this bit slip out. I watched his eyebrows crease.

"Why did they bring you soup?" He asked, as I knew was inevitable. It was too late to back down now.

"I, uh, I didn't feel well." I said. _Because of you and that kiss_, I silently added. I looked at his lips and then quickly looked away.

"Oh?" He asked. He was pressing for more. I felt a mix of anger and shame mix throughout me. Anger because he had no right to ask for more; shame because I had felt unwell over that kiss.

"Just a lack of appetite and exhaustion." I said, trying to play it down. It was the opposite of what I had done when I was ill. I played that up so I wouldn't have to go anywhere.

I swore I saw a smirk flash across his face, and I almost yelled at him. However, the smirk was gone so fast that I wasn't sure I hadn't hallucinated it.

"Okay." He said flatly. Then he smiled and said, "You ready to 'fight'?"

As simple as that, we resumed to training together.


	8. Chapter 7

Warnings: Yaoi! Finally, right?  
Sasuke gets OOC--not that he hadn't already, but he gets worse in this chapter.

-o-o-o-

A couple of weeks later, we trained extremely hard until nightfall. Both of us were hot, sticky, and sweaty. Edward removed his red jacket and black jacket. It turned out he wore a black tee shirt underneath both of those.

That day was not a good day. It was like my sex drive had suddenly decided to come to life, after not being active my whole life. Looking at Edward in his form fitting tee shirt didn't help matters at all.

Even though we were both hot from training, we decided to build a fire anyways. The problem came when we could only find one "sitting" log. Thus, we were sitting right next to each other.

I got up to poke the fire to adjust the logs. When I sat down, I sat much closer to Edward. I didn't even know if I did it on purpose or not. This way, however, our shoulders kept touching, or our knees pressed against one another. I despised myself for it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it.

Edward, on the other hand, kept jerking away. He reminded me of a scared horse, since horses are very jerky when they're frightened. I wondered if he was scared by all my claims of not being a fag, but then I recalled that he never said whether he was or wasn't gay. Maybe he was and he was trying to resist me. I couldn't tell.

My break came when he began to breathe funny—the same way I knew I was. I could tell that he was just as turned on as I was.

I had no control over myself anymore, I realized. I leaned over to Edward and kissed him desperately. He jerked back, causing himself to fall backwards off the log. I fell on top of him, anxious to keep the body contact.

I tried to kiss Edward again, but he turned his head.

"You said you weren't gay." Edward reminded me. I panicked and started babbling.

"I don't know, I don't know. I-don't-know. All I know is that you're here, you smell pleasantly like fire smoke and sweat, I'm aroused, and I-think-I-like-you." I said it in such a rush that I didn't even know if he understood me.

Edward gave me a long, hard stare. I'm sure I looked pathetic and frantic, which was unusual for myself.

"You've never liked anyone before, have you?" Edward asked finally.

In my whiniest and most insistent voice, I replied, "_No_."

I needed him, that very instant. Before he could say anything more, I leaned down once again and kiss him. I thanked the stars that he kissed me back.  
He had to be in one of the world's most uncomfortable positions. His legs were still draped over the log, and I was lying on top of him, putting more pressure on bad positioning of his back. Still, we laid that way for a while, kissing sloppily.

After a while, I began to calm down from my franticness. Edward seemed to sense this and stopped the kissing again.

"I really need to move." He said once I stopped. I smirked. Clumsily, I stood up and then helped him up.

Edward sat down in the grass, and I followed, sitting on top of him. Instantly, we were kissing again.


	9. Chapter 8

This is Sasuke's contemplation. It's a really short chapter, sorry to say. The long paragraph (or three) of _italics_ is a memory.

-o-o-o-

The next day, a resting day, was spent contemplating what all this meant. '_Gay? Me?'_ passed through my mind several times.

There was no doubt in my mind that I had _liked_ kissing Edward. There was simply no denying it. I was looking forward to doing it again, too.

I've never really liked anything. It was odd that I ended up liking kissing, which was such a simple task. Yet, kissing Edward had been unbelievable. It was fun, exciting, and satisfying.

I had to wonder what he thought about all of this. He still hadn't told me if he was gay. Surely he was, since he had kissed me back. Doubt filled me for a moment and made me think, _What if he had been imagining that I was a girl?_

I smirked in Doubt's face. The problem with that theory was that, later into the kissing, Edward had openly moaned my name when I bit his neck. Then there was also the fact that he had tried to get in my pants.

_I bit again onto Edward's neck, getting all the more aroused by the feel of his skin between my teeth. I felt Edward's hands sneaking down, and then they were at my pants button, attempting to sneak the button out of the slit.  
__I gasped and pulled away, using my hands to remove Edward's own.  
_"_What's wrong?" He asked. I blushed heavily and looked away. "Oh, you're not ready for that yet." He stated in a matter-of-fact way, rather than in the condemning way it had the potential to be._

I smiled at the memory. I believe that if his voice had been belittling in any way, I would have hit him and run away. After all, I was still angry, hesitant, and ashamed over this whole thing.

I wasn't angry with Edward. I couldn't be after I had forced myself on him. I was angry with myself, mostly. Why did I have to be gay? I wanted to restore my clan, but that couldn't happen if I was gay.

_Of course_, I let myself consider, _I could always impregnate a girl without actually liking her._ I felt my anger simmer down. Maybe this could work after all. Maybe I could be gay. Hell, maybe I was even bisexual. After all, I had never liked any boy before, so maybe someday I would like a girl too.

Now, however, my thoughts were focused on Edward. How were we supposed to act the next time we saw each other? Would it be awkward?


	10. Chapter 9

Sorry about not posting last week. To make up for it, you get two chapters today!

Warning: Yaoi. Lime, I guess.

-o-o-o-

The next day, it almost wasn't awkward. This was more due to the fact that neither of us mentioned the incident (at first) rather than that we were both okay with it.

I spotted Edward before he spotted me. I jumped down from the tree and landed in front of him.

"Hey." I said casually.

"Hi." He replied.

"So, ready to train today?" I asked.

"I am." He said. The exchange was short, but that's how we usually kept it. Conversely, the training was long, as we usually kept it.

Again, night fell before we were done.

"Oh, no." Edward said as we gathered sticks and logs for the fire. "I forgot the glove."

I contemplated using my fire-style jutsu. Usually I aimed for huge blows when I used it, but maybe I could use only a small amount. I did have good control over my chakra, after all.

"I could try lighting it." I said.

"How?" He asked. He didn't know about my fire-style jutsu. I never used it during training.

"Ninja secret." I said. We had finished setting up the fire spot by that time. "Just stand back." I warned him, as he had to me with the glove.

Rather than gather all my strength, as I usually did, I gathered a small amount of chakra and quickly blew. A little fire burst out; it was just enough to light our fire.

"Whoa!" Edward exclaimed. "How'd you do that??"

I smiled—rather smugly, I'll admit—and told him, "It's an inheritance from my clan."

"It's impressive." Edward said.

With nothing left to say on the matter, we both sat down. Once again, we sat on one log. Instinctively, we both seemed to know that it was time to talk about what happened the other day.

This is where the day got awkward.

"So…about the other day…" I started, because I knew one of us had to say something; it might as well have been me.

Edward looked up at me suddenly with determined eyes. It was clear that he had taken yesterday to think about it too. Without breaking eye contact, he flipped one leg over to log, so he was sitting on it saddle-style and completely facing me. I felt pressured to do the same, and so I did. We were now facing each other head on.

"I need to know something before you go any further." Edward started. "I need to know: was it a onetime thing?" I was taken aback by his question. I hadn't even considered that. His tone of voice left me no hint as to whether he wanted it to be a onetime thing or not. He continued, "Furthermore, if it was for that one time, why me? Or if it was not, why did you deny being gay in the first place?"

The last question I could answer. "I didn't know that I was." I said. "Edward, I've never liked anyone before in my life."

"I figured that one." Edward said. "So, you do like me then."

I felt myself blush heavily and looked to the ground.

"That blush counts as a yes, which means that you probably do want it to be more than a onetime thing." Edward paused, and I felt shame rising in me. _There is no way he likes me back._ I thought, _not when he's talking like this._ "Well."—Edward moved closer to me, so I could feel his breath in my ear—"Good, because I do too."

Relief flooded through me, and I let out a huge sigh to show it. I pulled my head back a little to see a smirk on Edward's face. He knew he had been stringing me along. Frustrated at him, I wiped the smirk off his face in the best way that seemed possible at the time: I kissed him.

He kissed back immediately and passionately. I felt his hand move to my thigh, midway between my knee and crotch as he leaned forward.

A few minutes into the kissing, I felt Edward move his hand up further, and I knew he was able to feel that I was already hard. Smoothly, he began to stroke back and forth over the erection. It felt amazing, even through my shorts. I broke the kiss and leaned forward, gasping. My head came to a rest on his shoulder. I let out a rough moan. He began to stroke faster as I breathed harder and faster, suppressing moans for a reason I didn't know. It wasn't like anyone was around besides the very boy giving me a reason to moan.

Somehow, Edward managed to slip his hand into my shorts without me noticing. I felt his smooth hands over my erection and it turned me on even further. Shortly after his hand had entered my shorts, my pleasure reached a peak, and I embarrassed myself by coming in my shorts. Edward sensed my orgasm and pulled his hand slowly out of my shorts, letting his fingers trail over my still-present erection. I almost came again because of it.

Instantly a fear entered my mind: did I get any cum on him? I quickly looked and saw that I did not.

I looked up to meet his eyes and blushed. The short-lived embarrassment that I had felt during my climax returned, though I knew not why. This is what Edward wanted, but maybe I was embarrassed for being so fast to climax. I looked down and felt my blush go up another level. There was a wet spot on my shorts from my cum.

I almost felt a need to apologize, but held back. This wasn't a time for talking. This was a time for getting even. I was going to do to Edward exactly what he had done to me. No, I was going to do better.

In a smooth movement, I slid off the log and got on my knees. I took Edward's leg from the other side of the log and moved it to the side I was on. Once again, he was facing me. I looked up at him with determined eyes, and he looked down at me with uncertain ones. He wasn't entirely sure of what I was doing, I could tell.

Doing my best to seem almost casual, I spread his legs and undid his zipper. His erection burst free like a flower that had been buried in dirt, but was still determined to stand again.

With the time I spent pursing my lips, I was certain that the muscles were strong. With this one last reassurance, I leaned down and took Edward's shaft in my mouth.

Considering I was a beginner, I did my best to make the oral sex good. I went so far as to hum, which I had heard feels good from Kakashi-sensei's dirty book. I was glad to heard Edward breathing heavily in the same way I had been. He moaned more than I did, however, though he did keep it quiet. Maybe it wasn't just me that felt a need to suppress the moans. I was glad he didn't press down on my head as I had heard of so many guys doing to girls. Instead he leaned back as much as he could and enjoyed it. Suddenly, his body tensed and then shook as he came in my mouth. The fluid shot into the back of my throat. Instantly, I swallowed it.

I withdrew my head, trying to lightly graze his erection with my lips as he had done to mine with his fingers. He took in a sharp breath. I smiled up at him, bordering on a smirk. I won.


	11. Chapter 10

Rather short chapter...

-o-o-o-

From that day on, our training always ended with some kind of reward. Some days, we merely kissed; others, we were left spread-eagle in the grass, exhausted in the best way possible. Still, we avoided taking the final stretch—sex—and we didn't talk about this avoidance either. Looking back, I don't think either of us was ready.

"Ed," I started, using the newly adopted name—before, I had always called him Edward—on a day we were lying sprawled across in the grass. "Why do we have to be from opposing countries?"

This question was somewhat rhetorical, and so it was no surprise when he said, "I don't know." We were lying next to each other, so when he rolled over, he was on top of me. "But let's not speak about it."

He began to kiss me, softly at first, but then harder. I felt his hand grip mine, intertwining our fingers, and I grasped his hand in return.

I loved the feel of his hand in mine. It wasn't small like a girl's hand, and so it fit perfectly into mine. The hand was slightly dry and rough, but in just the right way. I liked the feel of his flesh hand more than his automail hand. His automail hand was interesting, but it was too…cold. Of course, that was useful when Ed really wanted to mess with me. Trailing his cold automail had along my lower back was one of the many ways to turn me on, as we were both discovering.

I felt his tongue asking for entrance into my mouth, and granted it permission. Our tongues fought for dominance, though we knew that neither would win. Still, it felt good to try.

Eventually, of course, we both had to leave. Today, we seemed to be leaving earlier than usual. Ed sensed that I could tell this, and told me, "Sorry, I have to go early today. Al is getting suspicious. I told him I was training at the military grounds, so he told me just to be home earlier. If only he knew."

I smirked. "He'd be shocked."

I didn't tell him this, but part of me was kind of glad that we were leaving earlier. Naruto was really getting on my case. He and I loved to use our competitive drives against each other in training. When we did train, he wanted to know what kind of individual training I was doing since it seemed to him that I had been getting much better at a very fast pace. Lately, I _had_ been getting faster, since I was always trying to avoid Ed's alchemy or make it backfire. Of course, I couldn't tell Naruto that.

"Well, good bye." Edward said.

"Bye." I replied. We gave each other a brief kiss and left. He walked, while I jumped from tree to tree.


	12. Chapter 11

Credit to Alima8314 for the Edward wanting to learn fireball Jutsu so he can spit fire! Hehe.

-o-o-o-

The day after the next, Naruto decided to pull a scene just as I was leaving to meet up with Edward.

"Sasuke! Let me come with you!" Naruto yelled happily as I walked off. I hadn't seen him emerge from the ramen hut, though I wasn't surprised. He was running behind me, trying to catch up.

"I'm just going to train, Naruto. I don't need you to come with me." I said to the pursuing boy. I sensed him slow down to a stop.

"Yeah, well! Who wants to train with you anyway?!" Naruto yelled. What a moron; now everyone was staring at us. I turned to face him, and saw that he was crossing his arms.

"You're an idiot. Naruto, I would love to train with you." I told him. He smiled at that. "You're my best friend."—the smile grew larger yet—"However, this is more… individual training, okay? Next time, though." I winked at him.

The fool got the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face. "Alright!" He shouted and ran away happily. Apparently, he was going to individually train so he could look good in front of me.

I shook my head, hiding my smile, and began to walk again. Edward would be waiting.

-o-o-o-

"Edward, today I have a request of you." I said when I saw the other teenager.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I want you to teach me Alchemy. It can't be much different from Jutsu." I said. I watched him blink in surprise.

"I'm not sure if I know how." Edward admitted sheepishly.

"Well, how do you do it?" I asked.

"I kind of…manipulate my life force and use it to shape an object…" Edward said.

"It sounds like chakra. I manipulate chakra to make a Jutsu." I replied.

"I guess it is. Except, with Alchemy, you use the energy to mold whatever object you want." Edward said, catching on to my logic.

"Okay, so teach me how." I stated.

"I'm not sure if I can teach it." He replied. "Just focus your, uh, chakra and push it into an object, willing it to change."

"What object would you recommend?" I asked.

"Something simple. It should be no more than three elements." He said.

"I have a kunai. Will that work?" I took out a kunai and offered it to him.

"Yes, this will work. We should remove the wrapping on the handle." Edward removed the white tape that was used to help grip the kunai. "You're going to need a transmutation circle."

Edward took a piece of chalk out of his jacket and drew one on the kunai. I used my sharingan to memorize it.

"Okay, now just put both hands on the knife and focus your chakra into your hands. Then focus on the shape you want to item to take." I did as he said once he set the kunai on the ground. My hands felt warm, and I felt the kunai changing. I tried to transmute it into a shuriken. I grew excited when I felt it shaping under my hands. Finally, I could just tell that the transmutation was done.

I pulled my hands away excitedly, eager to see what I had made.

My face fell into one of annoyance when I saw that I had made a four-point metal blob.

"Uhh…well…you are just a beginner…" Edward said, trying to encourage me.

"Oh, save it. It's terrible." I said.

"It's not terrible. _I_ started out with paper. The fact that you can change metal already is actually amazing." Edward insisted, crossing his arms. "Try again."

I got back down on my knees and put my hands over the metal blob once again. This time, I tried my hardest to focus on the shape of the shuriken, imagining the metal under me turning into such.

When I pulled my hands away again, I had made something that looked a bit more like a shuriken. After a few more tries, with the insistence of Edward, I had made the perfect shuriken.

"See? I told you that you could do it!" Edward said.

"That's so cool!" I replied. I was actually excited. I mastered this Alchemy faster than I had mastered Fire-Style Jutsu. This used a lot less chakra too, though Alchemy was still very tiring.

"So, you want to start training now?" Edward asked. I shook my head.

"Let's do some more of this."

We spent the entire day perfecting my Alchemy. Edward even showed me how draw energy from the surrounding environment so I didn't use any of my chakra. By the end of the day, I was able to make a shuriken in one try without using my own energy.

"I have a request of you too." Edward said once we had decided that I had enough. "Can you teach me how to blow fire between my fingertips?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"That thing you do... When you blow between your forefinger and your thumb... Then the flames come out..." Edward said, losing confidence as he went along. "You did it to light the fire…"

"My Fireball-Jutsu?" I offered.

"Yeah!" Edward shouted. His face lit up, and for a moment, I was reminded of Naruto. "I would love to do that because Colonel Mustang says I'm so hot tempered, I spit fire. I want to actually spit fire the next time he says that…" He grinned at the thought.

I smirked at his idea. Still, I had to tell him, "I can't teach you that. It's hereditary of my clan."

Edward's face fell. "Damn."

"Otherwise I would definitely teach it to you." I assured him.

"You could try anyway…" Edward said, though I could tell he was only half-joking. I shook my head to answer "no". He'd probably burst something if he tried.

"There is one Jutsu I could teach you." I said.

"Yeah?" He perked up, eager to hear what he could learn.

"Mhm. I could teach you to climb trees." I replied. I watched him immediately get disappointed.

"I know how to do that." Edward said. I smirked.

"Like this?" I walked over to the nearest tree and began focusing my chakra to my feet. I then began to climb the tree as I had seen Kakashi-Sensei do so long ago—four years to be exact.

"WOW!" Edward exclaimed. "That's amazing! How do you do it?"

I pushed off from the tree and flipped in the air to land on my feet.

"Well, I thought you knew how to climb trees." I said, teasing him.

"Not like that!" He retorted; his voice still held the tone of awe. Who knew such a simple trick could be so astonishing to an Alchemist?

"Okay then, I'll teach you." I told him. "But first I have to tell you about chakra." I then recited everything Sakura had told Naruto and me on the first day we tried to learn this. He followed right along, seeming to absorb the information easily. "Oh." I added. "You're not going to learn this in one day."

I left the statement hanging ominously in the air.

"I'll learn it in half the time you did." He retorted.

"We'll see." I replied.


	13. Chapter 12

No notes. Read, hopefully enjoy, and review. :)

-o-o-o-

Edward was wrong when he said that he would learn to climb trees in half the time I did. It took him several days to get as high as I had gotten on my first try. He had yet to reach the top like I had with Naruto one night.

"Damn it!!" Edward shouted as he leaped from the tree and landed on the ground.

"Hey, at least your landings are getting better." I offered. At first, Edward had just fallen off the tree. It didn't take him long to learn how to land when jumping from trees. He had already known how to leap from tall places—I knew this from training with him.

Ed shot me a glare.

"You're not used to using chakra, that's all. Focus." I said.

"I'm going to fucking learn this." Edward replied, both stubbornly and irritably. _It's not going to work if you're angry._ I thought. I didn't think saying it aloud would help him.

I watched as Edward tried again. Once again, he had to jump just before he got to the branch that we had decided was his goal.

"This is your fault!" Edward shouted, frustrated.

"Yeah?" I asked. I didn't get angry—I knew how frustrating climbing trees could be and how easy it was to blame someone else.

"I'm pissed at you so I can't focus!" Ed was still shouting.

I walked calmly over to him and drew his body closer to mine. I brought my lips to his and kissed him passionately. After a while, I drew back.

"There. Now stop being pissed and climb the damn tree." I said.

"Yeah, but now I can't focus for a different reason. Thanks a lot, Sasuke." Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"If you get to the branch, I'll give you more." I replied, smirking. Maybe bribing could work.

Edward stood in front of the tree and apparently tried to center himself. I watched as he calmly began climbing the tree. A couple of times, he seemed to almost slip, but he persevered. Finally, he made it to the branch. He sat down and said, "I made it! Now give me my reward!"

Even from the ground, I could tell he was grinning. In a few simple leaps, I was sitting next to him.

He seemed shocked that I got up so fast.

"Damn it. I tried so hard just to get to here, and you make it look so easy…" Edward said, looking at me. His face was growing to be slightly disappointed, and so I quickly spoke to comfort him.

"I've been using chakra my whole life. You've been using it for a few weeks. It's not fair to compare yourself to me." I told him. He sighed.

"I guess so," He sighed as he shrugged lightly.

"You know so." I corrected him, leaning over to give him a kiss. He leaned in as well, and we kissed. However, the kiss was short-lived, since neither of us wanted to lose our concentration and fall.

"Maybe we should go down." I suggested. Edward nodded his agreement. "Focus your chakra, and walk until you find a spot which you feel comfortable jumping from." I told him.

He did as I said, and he did really well. What can I say? I'm a good teacher.

I followed him, leaping once I felt it was safe, which was a bit higher than he had jumped from. I had to keep my masculine pride, after all. Ed didn't notice anyway.


	14. Chapter 13

Warning: OOC. Sasuke throws a temper tantrum and Sakura is more clingy than usual. XD

-o-o-o-

The following weeks continued in such a way. Edward practiced his chakra control, and I practiced Alchemy.

Some days, we didn't even take a break between days. We went three days in a row without a break, excluding the nights.

Sakura and Naruto were getting more and more curious. "Where are you going?" They often asked. I was usually able to avoid the question or answer vaguely. "Oh, you know…" was quickly becoming my catch phrase. Sometimes I told them that I was training alone.

I noticed distinct change in my attitude; I was becoming happier. I tried to hide that fact as best as I could, but sometimes I slipped up.

-o-o-o-

"Good job." Kakashi-Sensei said when he saw that I had hit every target with the kunai. I had been training like this my whole life; I don't know how he didn't expect me to get every target, even the hidden ones and the ones high in the trees.

Still, I smiled a genuine smile. Quickly, I tried to cover it up by smirking. It didn't work, though; he had seen me smile.

"So, who's the girl?" Kakashi-Sensei asked.

"Girl?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"You usually don't smile at praise. There has to be some reason you are now. So, is it a girl?" Kakashi-Sensei said. My face flared up with a blush.

"There is no girl." I told him, truthfully.

"Ooh, you're blushing." Kakashi-Sensei pointed out. It's true—I was—but not for the reasons he thought. "What's her name?"

"_There is no girl_." I insisted. I ducked my head away from his intense gaze. I felt as if he was reading my mind and knew what I was thinking.

"GIRL!?" Sakura popped out of nowhere. "WHAT IS HER NAME??" She demanded of me, getting right in my face.

I took a step back so she wasn't so close. "Sakura, there is no girl." I replied, repeating the same answer for the third time.

"What a liar." Kakashi-Sensei said in a flat voice. That is what got to me. I exploded.

"THERE IS NO FUCKING GIRL!" I yelled and ran off. No one followed me, luckily.

I made it home before I broke down.

"There is no fucking girl." I repeated to myself. Shame rose in me. Today was a huge reminder that society thought it was wrong of me to like Edward in the way I did. The mere assumption that it was a girl, not a boy, that I liked, proved the unspoken disapproval of homosexuality.

The feel of his arms around my waist, his lips pressed against mine, and even his hand held in my own…All of it was wrong. I sat down on my bed as I thought this through. It didn't _feel_ wrong though, and that was my problem. It felt right—very right. It felt more right than anything in my life ever had felt before. So why did society brand it as sick and immoral?

I felt as if I was about to burst. Was this the part where I start crying? Yeah, right. That was not going to happen. I couldn't cry over such a thing.

I must have sat there for half an hour or so, debating with myself. Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. I heaved a sigh and got up to answer it. Sakura stood in the doorway.

"Hey, Sasuke. Are you okay? I didn't mean to upset you. You're not mad at me, are you?" She burst out as soon as she saw me.

"I'm fine." I said flatly. "And no, I'm not mad at you, specifically."

I saw a pout cross her face. Indirectly, yes, I was mad at her. After all, she had also assumed that I had a girl.

I'll admit that for a moment, I thought about kissing her just to test myself. I wanted to know if I was truly gay. A quick look at her told me not to do it. Nothing about her drew me in; nothing made me want to kiss her. Plus, if I did kiss her, she would want more, and I would be bugged forever with requests to kiss again.

"So there's really no girl then?" Sakura asked. I heaved another sigh.

"No, Sakura, there isn't." I thought about adding, _'but there is a boy'_, but decided against it. I didn't need her blabbing _that_ around.

"Well, that's good!" Sakura replied, cheering up immediately. I nodded, utterly exhausted with the situation, and walked into my kitchen. I needed a drink of water. I left the door open, and Sakura took the hint and followed. Maybe I needed a girl's company right now.

After I got a drink of water, Sakura asked, "So, what do you do when you train alone?"

I hadn't even thought of how to answer such a question, if it were to ever arise as it was now. I took another gulp of the water to put off answering it.

Finally, I said, "Oh, you know… Practice my speed, work on chakra control." See? It was my catch phrase.

"That sounds cool. Can I come sometime?" Sakura asked. I looked at her.

"No." I replied, trying to be nice about it. It wasn't a suspicious answer, since I had denied requests to hang out with her alone before. Still, she got that disappointed look, and her shoulders sagged. I tried not to feel bad.

"Oh… Okay." She said sadly. I couldn't handle this right now. I suggested the first thing that came to mind.

"Maybe you should go." I said softly. I didn't need her to make me feel bad right now.

"Yeah. I guess." She said in the same sad tone of voice.

"I'll see you tomorrow, maybe." I said, even though I knew this was a lie. Tomorrow, I'd be training with Edward.


	15. Chapter 14

Special thanks to Alima8314 for helping me out with this chapter! She checks every chapter for me, but she worked especially hard to edit this one. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own a few of the sentences in this chapter. Credit goes to Alima8314. There is a note attached next to the sentences, so you'll know which ones they are.

-o-o-o-

"Heading out again?" A voice said behind me. I was, indeed, 'heading out again'. I was on my way to see Edward.

I glance back to see Kakashi-sensei leaning against a lamp post. He attempted to look indifferent, but failed; he looked curious.

"Yes." I told him, trying to say in the tone of voice that I was busy, and he wasn't invited along.

"Where do you go, Sasuke?" He asked, not catching my drift that I didn't want to talk. By his whispered tone, I could tell that I was right—he was curious.

"Into the forest." I answered honestly. There was no point in lying about this. I'd just have to explain more if I did.

"And what do you do?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. His curiosity was growing, and it was annoying me. I hid this emotion though.

_Practice the forbidden art of Alchemy_, I thought.

"Practice chakra." I actually replied.

"You could do that here too, you know."

"Yeah, but…it's quieter in the forest." I said. "There are fewer people to annoy me." _In other words, none of you are there, and Edward is... So, I like it better._ I thought evilly. (1)

"I see…" Kakashi-sensei said. I nodded.

"Bye." I said, curtly.

"See you tomorrow for group training." He said and left with a wave of his hand.

I sighed. People were too curious about me. Why couldn't I do what I wanted with no questions?

-o-o-o-

"It's too bad you're limited to small objects..." Edward said after I transmuted a small, but perfect blade using Edward's automail. (2)

Automail was quite an interesting item, once you got used to it. It could come in a variety of metals and shapes. It was connected to one's nerves, so the person with automail was capable of using it like a normal limb. Ed told me that some people have automail that they used merely as weapons, such as guns. He wanted his automail to look more normal, so he went for human-shaped limbs. His entire right arm and most of his left leg were automail. He finally told me the other day why he had automail. Apparently, when he was young, his mother died. In an attempt to bring her back, Edward and his brother attempted to transmute a human. This "Gate" thing took Ed's leg, and then took his arm as payment for his brother's soul.

(I still have no idea what "The Gate" really is. We never try to open The Gate in Leafin, since we were unable to, so we had no reason to learn about it. I guess the closest thing to The Gate that we have is when we open our seven gates to increase the flow of chakra.)

Ed's brother, Al, has returned to human form now. Last year, Edward managed to find a "Philosopher's stone" (some magic stone that grants wishes, or something like that. Ed didn't help me understand this much.) and put Al back into his normal body. He never regained his limbs, however.

"Hey, pay attention." Edward said. I had spaced out when I was thinking about automail, and now he was waving his regular hand in front of my face. My hand still held his automail hand. (2)

"Sorry. What is it?" I asked.

"I said, 'It's too bad you're limited to small objects. You probably have the power to transmute bigger objects.'" Edward replied.

"Oh. Yeah, I might be able to." I said.

"If you can, you should try practicing this at home or something." Edward suggested. "Close all the curtains though, so the light doesn't attract any attention."

For some reason, this idea had never struck me.

"Good idea!" I replied, becoming much more excited than I should have been over a concept so simple, I'm amazed I hadn't already thought of it. (2)

Edward just smiled at me. I leaned forward and kissed him. At first it was just a peck, but then I leaned in again and gave him an open-mouthed kiss. Soon, we were making out. I finally dropped his automail arm, and drew my arms around Ed's waist, pulling him closer.

As I kissed Edward, I began to speculate how odd it was, two boys kissing. Well, in the real world. In our world, the one we created in this forest, it wasn't odd at all. It was right, and it was natural.

Here, there was no Kakashi-sensei to assume that it had to be a girl that was cheering me up; there was no Sakura to get upset with me when she discovers that I'm taken; and there was definitely no Naruto to annoy me.

Here, it was perfect.

-o-o-o-

(1) Sasuke's thought is stolen from Alima8314. She made this sentence, and thus, don't give me credit for it!

(2) Alima8314 edited this sentence to make it better.


	16. Chapter 15

AN: Sorry you didn't get a fragment last week. I've somehow found a way to be busy in summer, and wasn't able to post it. I hope you enjoy this one though! :-)

-o-o-o-

The next day was group training, as Kakashi-sensei had mentioned. For some reason, that day I decided to draw a tiny transmutation circle on my wrist. Edward had shown me how his circle had looked, so I copied it as best as I could, drawing it on my wrist. There, nobody would be able to see it unless I showed them. I suppose that it was just a reminder to make me think of Edward.

I walked to our meeting place on a cement bridge to find only Naruto.

"Okay! Let's train!" Naruto shouted.

"Sakura and Kakashi-sensei aren't here yet." I pointed out flatly.

"So what?" Naruto asked. I smiled. Training _would_ be the best way to burn up the time.

"Fine. Get prepared, moron." I replied. Naruto immediately charged me, which I easily dodged. I turned around before he could attack me from behind and punched him. A cloud of smoke told me that I had just punched a clone. I had only half-turned when I saw the real Naruto charging at me. I descended to the ground in a crouch and slammed my hand on the ground. Before I knew what I was doing, I used Alchemy to grab him with the cement.

Edward was absolutely right. I definitely had the power to transmute bigger objects. A hunk of cement could probably count toward that.

Naruto looked at me fearfully, and I returned the look. I used Alchemy once again to return the cement to ground, and stood slowly.

"Sa-Sasuke…that was…" Naruto started, but I rushed to him and covered his mouth. I also grabbed his wrist so he wouldn't run.

"Naruto…please be quiet." I said. I couldn't think of what to tell him. "You can't tell anyone about this, okay?"

I let his mouth go to let him agree or disagree.

"But…that was—!" Naruto started before I covered his mouth again.

"I know what it was!" I hissed at him. I took a deep breath and continued as calmly as I could, "Please, Naruto, if you've ever given a damn about me…you won't tell anyone."

I sensed Naruto relax, and so I released him.

His eyes narrowed at me. "Where did you even _learn_ Alchemy?" His voice broke on the word 'learn', making it come out as a screech.

He was _so _fucking loud! I looked around fearfully, but didn't see anyone in the direct area.

"Don't say it so loudly. Does it matter?" I asked. He crossed his arms, so I said, "Fine. I met this…kid, and he taught me. That's all." I shrugged, trying to play if off as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

"That's NOT all, Sasuke!! That's a huge offense!" Naruto shouted. He was going to give me away soon, if he wasn't careful. His face voiced concern, almost as if he was also asking me, "What if someone besides me had seen it? What would you do then?"

"NARUTO!" I shouted. "It IS all, and it's NOT that big of a deal!" I felt anger rising inside me. He was making this seem huge, when it wasn't. I would think that, because Naruto was discriminated against for being different, he wouldn't encourage discrimination, but here he was doing just that. Plus, his concerned face was pissing me off.

"What's not that big a deal?" I heard a voice say behind me. I recognized it immediately—Kakashi-Sensei. My heart stopped, and my breath caught. Kakashi-sensei was smart. He would figure out the direct connection to my leaving every other day and Alchemy.

"N-nothing." I choked out. I shot a glare in Naruto's direction, but he couldn't see it since he was closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Hopefully he didn't say anything.

"Oh? You two were being very noisy." He said. _How much had he heard? _I wondered. _Did he see me do Alchemy?_

"Sasuke is thinking about skipping training." Naruto said. I looked over at him, more grateful than I had ever been to anyone in my entire life. The moron knew loyalty, at least. I felt my heart start beating again, and my breath return.

"Is he?" Kakashi-Sensei asked. "Sasuke, you have to build your team work skills. You've been leaving to do much individual training lately."

"Yes, Sensei. Naruto changed my mind." I said in reply.

"Well, good job, Naruto." Kakashi-Sensei praised Naruto. I looked over at Naruto. Normally, he should be gloating over the praise, but he was just giving me a very intense stare. I hoped it didn't seem suspicious. "Where's Sakura?" Kakashi-Sensei asked.

_Who cares?_ I thought cruelly. _The less time she's around me, the less time I am getting hit on._

"Here I am!" Sakura shouted, running up. She was carrying a bag of donuts. I recognized the bag. "I stopped and bought us breakfast, since I figured Sensei would be late like he usually is. So, I got enough for him too."

She was glowing with joy. I hoped it wasn't just the prospect of seeing me that did that, though I knew it was. It was kind of pathetic.

"Here, Sasuke." Sakura said, handing me one of the donuts.

I smiled lightly at her and took it with a "Thanks."

The donut had a heart drawn with sprinkles in the top. I wouldn't have been surprised if the inside cream was pink. After taking a bite, I discovered that it was indeed pink. Girls are insane. They know how to hit on guys with _food_. Still, it was a good donut.

I looked over at everyone else's donut, and noticed a glaring difference. Everyone else had cake donuts with holes in the center. No cream-filled for them.

_Oh no._ I thought, my brain suddenly kicking in. _What if she wants to lick any leftover cream off my face? Would she even do that in public?_ I made sure to eat the donut very carefully, not getting any cream on my face. Afterwards, I wiped my mouth very roughly on my hand. There was no way cream would stay on my face after that. If it was there, then there was no way Sakura was licking it off! That's Ed's job!

After I got over the donut fiasco, training began. Kakashi-sensei had us practice the usual stuff, and so it was pretty boring. I breezed through it.

Afterwards, as I was leaving, Naruto came running up to me. "Hey, Sasuke. Want to buy me ramen?" He asked.

I knew immediately that I had no choice. Sakura and Kakashi-sensei were watching me as I sighed and said yes.

Sakura narrowed her eyes because she knew something was up. Kakashi-sensei must have been able to tell as well, but he did not say anything or give a suspicious look.

Naruto just stood there with the biggest grin on his face. I began walking in the direction of the ramen place, and Naruto followed. He was soon walking by my side.

"So, are you going to use this against me every day?" I asked, once we were out of earshot of Sakura and Kakashi-sensei. I needed to know what he wanted with me.

Naruto looked at me with surprise, but then his face contorted into an evil grin. It was obvious he hadn't even thought of that. "Maybe."

I sighed.

"So what's his name?" Naruto asked, putting his hands behind his head. I immediately stiffened. He knew. The moron knew that Edward wasn't just a person who randomly taught me Alchemy.

"Who?" I asked, attempting to make my face blank. However, I knew that a bit of panic showed on my face, and I blamed Edward. In fact, I not only blamed him, I cursed his very name. How dare he make me expressive!

"The person who taught you…that. You said it was a 'he'." Naruto said, glancing over at me. I relaxed. I was being too paranoid—Naruto didn't suspect a thing.

"His name is Edward." I replied.

"How did you meet him?"

"I met him in the forest." I said. I might as well comply with his questions. Naruto had something over me now.

"So that's where you've been going every other day?" Naruto asked.

"Mhmm." I said.

"And it's always to see him? For the entire day?" Naruto asked. Now I knew I wasn't being paranoid. Naruto knew. He knew, damn it.

"…Yeah." I asked cautiously. I was on the verge of panicking and was trying my best to control myself.

"Oh." Naruto said. I couldn't tell if he had put two and two together. If he had, he didn't let on. Instead, he asked, "Do you think he could teach me?"

"I—I'm not sure." I replied, curious as to why he wanted to learn Alchemy as well. I hoped it was simply to become a more powerful Ninja. I couldn't think of another reason.

"You could ask. You're seeing him tomorrow, right?" Naruto said. We had arrived at the ramen place. He had already ducked under the hanging cloths when I asked him.

"Yeah." I said gently, following him. In silence, we both enjoyed some ramen, all paid for by me, of course.


	17. Chapter 16

AN: I think updates are going to quit being so frequent soon. I'm reached the place where I stopped, and I think I might be stuck. I'll warn you all if it will be the last fragment for a while.

Again, special thanks to Alima8314 for helping me with this!

-o-o-o-

I arrived at our clearing in the woods much sooner than Edward the day after. Once he arrived, I practically tackled him. I grabbed onto him with all my strength, needing his body against mine. I hated whatever emotion was making me act like this (not that it happened often). Worry, I believe it's called. I hadn't felt this worried since I had found out that my brother was slowly cracking.

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging me tightly, maybe because he knew without me even saying it that I needed it.

Finally, I heard him say, "What's wrong?"

I groaned and buried my head in his shoulder. "Naruto." I muttered, pulling him a bit closer.

"Nah ooh oh?" Edward asked, mocking my poor pronunciation. I lifted my head. He knew who I meant; I had complained several times to Edward about how unbelievably annoying Naruto was.

"Naruto." I repeated.

"What did Naruto do?" Edward asked. I pulled back a little bit, so we both stood without touching.

"He didn't do anything. I did it. Alchemy. In front of him." I said, speaking in fragments, bowing my head in shame. I didn't want to see his face.

"You WHAT??" He asked, clearly seeing the danger. I flinched at the shouting, but didn't look up. His shock and possible anger was justified, and I knew it.

"Only he saw it. Now I just have to buy him ramen." I said, trying to downplay it. Edward groaned.

"How did you even do Alchemy? Did you draw a transmutation circle right there or something?" He asked. My face grew hot with embarrassment, and I didn't reply. I couldn't reply was more accurate. I couldn't find the words to describe what I had done without sounding like a stupid, lovesick school girl. "…Sasuke?"

I felt he deserved to know, since it involved him in a way, too. So, I decided to show him. Slowly, I pulled back my protective cloth on my wrist and held it out to him, showing him the transmutation circle that had yet to wash off. I blushed even more. I felt so exposed and vulnerable.

"You drew a transmutation circle on your wrist? Why?" Edward asked. I didn't think I could grow any redder. I looked at his eyes and then away again in one quick moment.

_Surely, he doesn't understand…_ I thought.

"Oh." Edward exclaimed. I didn't know whether he comprehended or not.

The next thing I knew, he was kissing me. He must have realized my intentions, then. He kissed me hard, desperately. I returned the kiss with just as much desperation. After several long, lip-bruising, desperate minutes, we finally stopped.

"Does Naruto know? About us?" Edward panted into my ear.

"No. Clueless." I panted back. Our lips found each again, and once again we were kissing.

-o-o-o-

"Someone's going to find out about us someday." Edward said. We were lying on the grass, resting after kissing for so long. Our limbs were pleasantly intertwined and we were too exhausted to move—not that we wanted to. My head was lying on his chest, listening to his heart and feeling his breathing.

"I know." I said. I had no choice but to know such a thing. Everyone around me was getting suspicious, especially Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei. I told Ed about this.

"I know what you mean. Alphonse"—Ed's brother—"is really getting suspicious. He went as far as to call up the Colonel and ask that I receive less training missions. The Colonel said he had no idea what Al was talking about. I don't know what to tell him."

"Tell him you met a girl." I suggested.

"Then he's going to want to meet her."

"Oh." We sat for several minutes in harsh silence.

"I really wish I could just tell him I met a boy." Edward finally said, sighing.

"Me too, but I doubt anyone around me would accept it." I replied.

"I don't know how Al would take it."

"This is making me miserable. We aren't doing anything wrong." I said, my voice low and depressed.

"Are you going to cry?" Edward asked in the nicest way possible.

"No." I replied. I do not cry; I just don't. I haven't since the day my brother killed himself. Of course, the real reason I had been crying was because I saw my slaughtered parents lying on the floor.

"Me neither." Edward said, his voice taking the same tone as mine. It was obvious we both wanted to cry, but we were holding back. Even though it was only the two of us present, our masculine pride took the better of both of us and told us not to cry.

Before I knew what was happening, I began to get the pre-cry sobs. My chest hitched, and I had to swallow the thin mucus in my throat. _No tears, please just no tears…_ I begged myself hysterically. My throat began to hurt from holding back.

I was on the verge of bursting out crying when Edward rolled over and kissed me. I felt wetness fall on my face and tears started leaking out of my eyes. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life—crying and kissing at the same time.

I heard Edward sniffle, and I had to hold back from laughing. I probably had his and my own snot all over my face. Gross, yes, but somehow funny as well.


	18. Author's notes

Author's notes: I apologize for not announcing this earlier, but this story is on hiatus. I currently have writer's block. I'm sorry about this and will try to defeat this writer's block, but until then, I won't be posting any chapters.


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